Record Breaker! Domestic Box Office Hits New High in 2018

Hollywood got the best gift of all on Christmas Eve. The domestic box office reached a new benchmark even before the busiest time of year for moviegoing commences.

Blockbusters including Disney’s “Black Panther” and “Incredibles 2,” Universal’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” and Fox’s “Deadpool 2” drove sales past $11.383 billion, according to Comscore. That puts 2018’s haul ahead of the record $11.382 billion set in 2016, with over a week left to go in the year.

It got more expensive to go to the movies, and ticket prices hit a new high, averaging $9.38 over the summer. But it’s not just the rising cost of admission accounting for the surge. Attendance is also up over 4% from last year.